WNY Receives over $100 Million in State Money

Western New York is receiving over $100 million from New York State for a long list of different projects. While there is a lot of money being spread throughout the region, Erie County alone is getting over $51 million of the $100.3 million.

Among the big "winners" was the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus which is receiving funding for several projects.

• $5.1 million will support the Roswell Park Cancer Institute Genome project to build a robust approach to personalized medicine. The approach will enhance the study of genetic sequences, the health information data associated with individuals' genetic sequences, and enable analysis and discovery to inform more personalized, and more effective, medicine. 
• $500,000 will enable the Hauptman-Woodward Crystallization Laboratory's expansion of its crystallization laboratory biotech services, to offer competitive, revenue-generating and sustainable research. 
• $4 million for development of the Jacobs Institute of its Center for Innovation in Medicine, a cutting-edge, state of the art medical device prototyping facility at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. This facility will be the only U.S. center for entrepreneurship in the heart of a clinical facility. It will include a fabrication center, a machine shop and a clean room to create new devices and techniques and a training center for physicians to test those devices.

There are a lot of notable organizations and groups which are receiving funds, most of which are for restoration or rehabilitation work. For example, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC) is receiving over $300,000 which will go to stabilize and restore the massive canopies above the entrances to the building.

Paul Lang, vice president of the CTRC explained, "The CTRC is excited to have been awarded the funds and thankful for the State's continued support and recognition of our on-going efforts. This project is the first of many planned, but will certainly be the most visible. Restoring the canopies over our main entries will be a very public statement of our organizations continued growth and internal development with regards to our Master Plan and ultimate goal of re-developing the Central Terminal structure and property. Hopefully our success in winning the grant and completing the project will further demonstrate the potential of the building when given the support."

Governor Cuomo created ten Regional Economic Development Councils to identify a comprehensive strategy for investment. The Councils were comprised of local businesses, labor, education, and community leaders. The Western New York Regional Council worked over the last few months to decide where the money should be allocated while also focusing on areas of investment which have the greatest chance of job creation.

Four million dollars has been allocated to a major downtown project which will connect five downtown districts. It focuses on re-establishing high-quality, multi-modal transportation corridors which will link Main Street, the Genesee Gateway, and the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. The investment targets infrastructure and streetscape development which is within the guidelines of the Queen City Hub Plan.

Heart of the City Neighborhoods is receiving over $250,000 to rehabilitate 30 homes in various areas of the City. The improvements will focus on elderly, developmentally disabled, ad households with young children. One of the largest amounts is $15.5 million for rehabbing and preserving 206 units in the Mariner Towers complex at the foot of Hertel Avenue Maryland and Efner streets.

Other large city projects receiving funding was $2 million for St. John Fruit Belt CDC's planned automotive maintenance training facility.  The project is being developed through a partnership with Erie Community College, General Motors and the Niagara Frontier Auto Dealers Association.

Buffalo Place is receiving $500,000 to assist with building renovations and streetscape work in the Theater District.  The Elmwood Village Assocation is also receiving $500,000 to rehabilitate commercial and residential structures in its targeted area.

American Heritage Home, a modular home manufacturer, is receiving $2.5 million in low-cost financing to help built a new manufacturing plant in the Lakeside Commerce Park in South Buffalo.

For the full list of projects and their allocation click here.